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Written Question
Local Government: Meetings
Wednesday 17th March 2021

Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, after 7 May, local authorities will be permitted to hold (1) remote proceedings, or (2) hybrid proceedings, for (a) council meetings, (b) Executive meetings, (c) committee meetings, (d) sub-committee meetings, or (e) other meetings at which members of the public are able to be present.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

The Government keeps all policy under review. To extend the facility for councils to continue to meet remotely, or in hybrid form after 7 May 2021 would require primary legislation.

We have received representations from local authorities and sector representative organisations making the case for the continuation of remote meetings beyond 7 May 2021 and are carefully considering next steps in this area.


Written Question
Stronger Towns Fund
Wednesday 17th March 2021

Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the £1 billion Towns Fund announced in the Budget 2021, published on 3 March, each English region will receive, and how much of the £1 billion Stronger Towns Fund, launched on 4 March 2019, each English region received.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

The Towns Fund is helping level up the country, driving economic regeneration, productivity and growth. At Budget 2021, the Chancellor announced 45 Town Deals. Regional totals can be found in the Budget document (attached) here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/966868/BUDGET_2021_-_web.pdf.

These are in addition to the first seven Town Deals announced in October 2020, further details of which can be found (attached) here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/first-town-deals-worth-almost-180-million-announced

The Towns Fund superseded the previously announced Stronger Towns Fund, ensuring even more places could be supported. No funding was committed through that Fund.

Further Town Deals will be announced in due course.


Written Question
Private Rented Housing: Rents
Friday 5th March 2021

Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of private renters with significant rent arrears since restrictions to address the COVID-19 pandemic were introduced; what assessment they have made of the figure of 800,000 with rent arrears in England and Wales suggested by the National Residential Landlords Association; and what steps they plan to take to prevent large-scale evictions once the protections put in place during the pandemic are lifted in England.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

The vast majority of tenants are meeting their rental commitments. Data from the English Housing Survey (EHS) Household Resilience Study June-July 2020 suggests that around 7% of private rented sector households are in rent arrears compared to around 3% pre-COVID. 5% of private renters had spoken to their landlords and agreed a rent holiday and a further 6% had spoken to their landlords and agreed a rent reduction.

The NRLA also reported that 7% of renters have built up arrears, and that 91% of private renters have not built any arrears since March 2020.

The UK Government has provided an unprecedented package of financial support which is available to tenants. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the wider package of economic support measures are supporting private renters to continue paying their rent. Local housing allowance (LHA) rates will be maintained at their increased level in cash terms in 2021/22, meaning claimants renting in the private rented sector will continue to benefit from the significant increase in the LHA rates applied in April 2020 in cash terms. Even in areas where rents have reduced and so the 30th percentile level has gone down, LHA rates will remain unchanged.  For those who require additional support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are available. For 2021-22 the Government will make available £140 million in DHP funding, which takes account of the increased LHA rates.


Written Question
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Wolverhampton
Friday 5th March 2021

Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the planned new base for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in Wolverhampton will be comparable to the London base in (1) the number of staff employed, (2) the staff grading structure, and (3) the numbers of staff per salary grade.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

As the Department's second HQ, the Wolverhampton office will have a wide range of Civil Service roles and grades, including senior roles, and will also have a regular Ministerial presence.

By 2025 the MHCLG Group will have 500 jobs based in the West Midlands region, and overall the MHCLG Group is moving a total of 800 roles out of London by the end of the decade, with a target to have half of the most senior roles based in the regions by 2030. As a result, the MHCLG London office will reduce by at least a quarter by 2025 but will remain our largest single office.

The Department is, as a priority, conducting a search for suitable premises in the city and expects to be able to announce further information on the timetable for opening the office by the Summer.


Written Question
Parish Councils: Coronavirus
Friday 5th March 2021

Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that funding for COVID-19 recovery schemes in communities will be available to town and parish councils on the same basis as for principal councils.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

Whilst the Government does not have the necessary powers to pay parish and town councils directly, the Secretary of State has written to principal authorities to urge them to discuss appropriate funding support for parish and town councils from within the support we have provided to them. The Government has allocated over £8 billion directly to principal authorities since the start of the pandemic and has committed to provide a further £3 billion for 2021/22.

Therefore, I would encourage parish and town councils to continue to liaise with the relevant principal authorities on how this money is allocated in their area.


Written Question
Parish Councils: Facilities
Friday 5th March 2021

Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that in the case of specific funding schemes for (1) parks, (2) play areas, (3) leisure facilities, (4) town centres, (5) high streets, (6) community centres, and (7) other facilities for which town and parish councils commonly exercise powers that are concurrent with those of principal councils, town and parish councils are able to apply or compete for funding on the same basis as principal councils.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

Whilst the Government does not have the necessary powers to pay parish and town councils directly, the Secretary of State has written to principal authorities to urge them to discuss appropriate funding support for parish and town councils from within the support we have provided to them. The Government has allocated over £8 billion directly to principal authorities since the start of the pandemic and has committed to provide a further £3 billion for 2021/22.

Therefore, I would encourage parish and town councils to continue to liaise with the relevant principal authorities on how this money is allocated in their area.


Written Question
UK Shared Prosperity Fund
Wednesday 17th February 2021

Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to publish the prospectus for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will help to level up and create opportunity across the UK for places most in need, such as ex-industrial areas, deprived towns and rural and coastal communities, and for people who face labour market barriers.

In addition, to help local areas prepare over 2021/22 for the introduction of the UKSPF, we will provide additional UK funding to support our communities to pilot programmes and new approaches.

The November 2020 Spending Review set out the main strategic elements of the UKSPF in the Heads of Terms.  The Government will publish a UK-wide investment framework in Spring 2021 and confirm multi-year funding profiles at the next Spending Review. Further details on the operation of the additional funding in 2021/22 will be published soon.


Written Question
Building Regulations: Electric Vehicles
Wednesday 10th February 2021

Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend building regulations to ensure that all new developments are provided with facilities for recharging electric vehicles relating to each new dwelling in the development.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

The government consulted in 2019 on options to amend the building regulations to require electric vehicle chargepoints in residential and non-residential buildings. We will publish a response, which will set out our plans for the new requirements coming into effect.


Written Question
Parish Councils
Wednesday 27th January 2021

Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposal in the report by Onward The Policies of Belonging, published on 12 January, that every local area should have the 'right to self government' through a parish or town council; and, further to this, what assessment they have made of proposals for the removal of the ability of principal local authorities to veto proposals for new town and parish councils.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

My department notes the proposals set out in this report and the calls to remove the formal role of principal councils in the creation of town and parish councils. It is however the government’s view that democratically elected and accountable local government has a vital role to play in this process, ensuring that councils can take a strategic view on governance on behalf of their communities. The Devolution white paper will set out the government’s plans for levelling up all areas of the country and empowering our communities.


Written Question
Parish Councils: Coronavirus
Wednesday 27th January 2021

Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have encouraged principal councils to provide financial support to parish and town councils from the funding they have received from the Government; and if so, (1) how, (2) what guidance they have provided, and (3) when any such guidance was issued.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

The Government does not have powers to offer direct financial support to parish and town councils, which are funded through a precept collected from within the overall council tax paid by the residents of the parish or town. The Secretary of State has written to principal authorities encouraging them to discuss funding issues with parish councils where parishes are performing covid-related services. In addition the department has written to parish councils encouraging them to engage with their principal council to discuss access to funding. The Government has provided £8 billion of un-ringfenced support to local authorities since the start of the pandemic, recognising that local authorities are best placed to decide how to meet the major service pressures in their local areas.